ECA to study the impact of EPAS on Africa
By Andrew Allimadi, Communication Officer, TRID, ECA
29 July 2004

The Deputy Executive Secretary, Madam Lalla Ben-Barka today opened a consultative technical and planning meeting between the Economic Commission for Africa's (ECA) Trade and Regional Integration Division (TRID) and ECA's sub-regional offices for Southern, Eastern, Western and Central Africa. The one day meeting is being held at the UNCC in Addis Ababa. In her opening remarks to the meeting, Madam Ben-Barka welcomed the initiative by TRID and the sub-regional offices to collaborate on studying an issue of such importance for the future of Africa. She commended TRID for the numerous activities it has been conducting recently in support of African countries on trade-related issues, including supporting the meeting of ministers of trade in Kigali, Rwanda; and ministers of finance in Kampala, Uganda. She wished all participants fruitful deliberations and a successful study, adding that she is waiting eagerly for the final report.

The results of the study are expected by the end of September. The study very crucial because the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are expected to be signed by December 2007 between the EU and the ACP countries. The EPAs will be the new cooperative framework under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, and are expected to adopt an integrated approach based on partnership and promoting cooperation, trade and political dialogue between the EU and the ACP countries. One of the essential characteristics of this multilateral partnership is that it hopes to combine trade (to respond to the challenge of globalization), development aid (essential to ACP countries), and a strengthened political dimension. The key CPA principles are reciprocity; differentiation; deeper regional integration; and coordination of trade and aid.

The one-day meeting will discuss in detail, and where necessary amend the concept note for the study in detail, the technical methodology for the study and the modalities for cooperation and coordination between ECA and its sub-Regional offices, and ECA with RECS that are leading the negotiations process with the EU.